Forever Can Spare A Moment
by Hyperteenager24
Summary: When Malik's brother is imprisoned in a hidden tower, by a disgraced (and slightly deranged Assassin), he offers himself in Kadar's place... unaware that the truth behind Altair's imprisonment is much more that what it seems.
1. Chapter 1

Alright, so in my modern assassin creed series, I very rarely touch upon the Altair/Malik ship… it's there, but I hardly ever talk about it.

So, what do you get when you cross an author who loves Disney crossovers and a loved OTP…. An Altair/Malik Beauty and the Beast crossover.

I hope you like it, and please read and review ?

…..

Once upon a time, in a far away land, a young man earned the rank of Master Assassin at the age of 25, the youngest ever to earn that rank.

An impressive achievement, and everyone knew it.

The young man had everything his heart could ever desire…. And yet, he was arrogant, selfish and unkind.

And then he made a mistake.

On a mission to retrieve a valuable artefact, he broke the sacred tenets of the Order and left his fellow Assassins to face the Templars alone.

What happened next is a mystery.

Some say, that the young man was killed by the Grandmaster for his crimes against the Creed... other rumours suggest that the Grandmaster had the young man locked away in a tower until he learnt how to be a true assassin.

Only when he learnt this, could he join the order again.

This was only a rumour though.

Over time, less and less people believed in that rumour, and therefore, less and less people ventured near that tower. The years flew by, and soon, the incident, the young man and the tower were forgotten.

An Assassin locked in a tower for bad behaviour…. A ludicrous idea!

…

"Kadar!" Malik cried out, glaring in the direction of his younger brother's room, "Kadar! Up!"

"Yeah, yeah!"

Malik rolled his eyes, grabbing his books and heading out of the door. His brother was due to leave on a mission today, and if he wasn't up and ready by the time the leader of the mission arrived… well, heads would roll.

He and his brother lived in a small town, along with the rest of the Order. It was quiet… everyday was like the one before. Each Assassin family kept to themselves and they all followed pretty much the same schedule.

As usual, he bought a loaf of bread from the town baker and shoved it into his bag, ignoring the pitying stares he received for his missing arm.

It was always the same.

As he walked past the horses, another man soon caught his attention.

"Good morning Malik!"

"…. Good morning Brother Jamil." Malik frowned as the older man glanced around, his brow furrowed in thought, "Have you lost something?"

"Yes…. Not to worry though, I'll find it." Jamil frowned, "And where are you off to?"

"The library. I need to read up on some of the older fighting techniques."

"What good would it do? You won't be able to- " Jamil stopped in his tracks, a guilty look in his eyes as he realised how harsh that sounded.

Malik knew how the sentence was going to finish, and glared at the other assassin, before turning and storming away.

He knew what they all thought of him… poor Malik, isn't he odd? Why hasn't he just left yet? Why does he continue to try and fight?

Even the younger ones thought it.

Having a one-armed Assassin was about as unlikely as a female one… and everyone knew that.

He strode through the marketplace, listening to married men flirting with pretty store assistants, watching as women bartered over the price of eggs…. It was all so dull and boring.

It had been years since he was last allowed on a mission. Not since… well, here's where the details got a little fuzzy. He knew he had been on a mission when he'd lost his arm.

A mission that had gone terribly wrong.

But he couldn't remember who his partner was on that mission… and nobody else seemed to remember either.

Pushing the thought out of his mind, he turned his attention to the training master, who was observing a session between a couple of novices.

"Ah!" The master noticed him out of the corner of his eye, and wandered over, "And when can I expect to see you back in my lessons Malik?"

"I'm not sure the Grandmaster would approve."

The master waved his hand in dismissal, "Nonsense… I remember how good a fighter you were. I doubt having one arm has slowed you down. When you want to make that jump, you know where I am."

Malik nodded in thanks, and continued his journey, ignoring the whisperings and mutterings all around him. He knew people thought he was peculiar…. Odd… strange for not simply heading to a city outside of Masyaf and running an Assassin Bureau.

But a one-armed Assassin must be possible… all he would really need was something to attach onto his stub, that would help him climb, like the others.

As he was thinking over the options that he had, Malik was unaware of a conversation happening high above him.

…

"Look at him Abbas…" Al Mualim ordered, keeping his eyes on Malik down below, "… Isn't it sad? Malik was once one of the most skilled assassins we ever had in this Creed… he would have made Master, were it not for the incident."

"And now?"

"Now… now we must find another place for him." Al Mualim started to pace the balcony, "He knows too much for him to leave, but we can't keep him on as an assassin…. He needs to be bonded to one of our more influential members."

"…. Who?"

Al Mualim glanced over at Abbas and raised an eyebrow, prompting Abbas to frown. "Me? Why?"

"Because you are my second-in-command…" Al Mualim headed back into the tower, "… I have been planning this ever since the incident, and I expect you to follow through with it. Malik is far too important for him to simply disappear… and he certainly won't get any further in the Creed."

He turned to Abbas and frowned at the displeased scowl on the man's face. "I understand you may have had your eye on someone else… but this is an order… not a request."

"Of course, Grandmaster… as you wish."

….

Personally, Abbas couldn't see all the fuss about Malik. Yes, the man was attractive in his own little way, but it was nothing special…. But whatever the Grandmaster wanted, the Grandmaster got.

Slowly, he followed Malik through the crowded streets, watching as the disabled man made his way through the people with ease…. And ignored what everyone was saying about him.

Quickly, he raced forwards to catch up with Malik, announcing his presence before tapping Malik on the shoulder. "Good morning Brother Malik. A good selection of books you have there."

"Have you read them?"

Abbas winced… he was never much one for reading and Malik knew it. "Well…. Not those particular ones… I was wondering if I could join you for dinner tonight?"

Malik thought for a few moments, before shaking his head. "Sorry… not tonight."

"Busy?"

"…. No."

Without waiting for an answer, Malik strode away, leaving a stunned Abbas behind.

Well… that was interesting. The dignity and coolness in Malik's tone suddenly made him ten times more attractive.

This might be easier to deal with than Abbas initially thought.

…

Malik shuddered as he wandered back home, glancing around him to make sure that Abbas (or worse) hadn't followed him home. As he opened the door, he heard his brother's voice from the kitchen, singing the old lullaby that their Mother used to sing to them.

It had been so long since Malik had heard it, he'd almost forgotten what it sounded like.

"How does a moment last forever,

How can a story never die?

It is love we must hold onto,

Never easy, but we try.

Sometimes our happiness is captured,

Somehow, our time and place stand still.

Love lives on inside our hearts,

And always will."

When Kadar stopped, Malik spoke up behind him.

"I've forgotten what that sounded like."

Kadar barely flinched (barely), "I was hoping you'd be back soon. I need- "

Malik handed him the bread before he could finish the sentence.

"Great… and I also need- "

Malik handed him the eggs, causing Kadar to roll his eyes. "No, I- Actually, I do need those. I hate it when you do that."

As Kadar finished up with breakfast, Malik took a seat at the table and sighed. "Kadar... do you think I'm odd?"

"My brother? Odd?" Kadar smirked, "What gave you that idea?"

"It's hard not to hear what everyone is saying."

Hearing the depressed tone in Malik's voice, Kadar went to sit opposite him. "You're an Assassin with one arm, who's trying to prove himself… it's not surprising everyone's having trouble adjusting. But you can't give up…. You're going to be the first Assassin with one arm and everyone is going to know your name."

"You really think so?"

"I know so!" Kadar beamed, "My brother, the best Assassin that there ever was and ever will be! Malik the Fearless!"

Before Malik could say anything, there was a heavy-handed knock on the door, prompting Kadar to frantically shove the remains of his breakfast into his mouth. "That must be the Master…" he blurted out, going to grab his Assassin cloak, before beaming at Malik, "… want me to get you anything?"

"… No. I'm perfectly alright, thank you."

"You can ask for something one-time Malik… it wouldn't kill you, you know."

"Honestly Kadar, I'm fine."

Kadar beamed at his brother, before racing out of the door.

He would be back tomorrow… which meant that Malik had plenty of time to work on his Assassin training.


	2. Chapter 2

Alright, so in my modern assassin creed series, I very rarely touch upon the Altair/Malik ship… it's there, but I hardly ever talk about it.

So, what do you get when you cross an author who loves Disney crossovers and a loved OTP…. An Altair/Malik Beauty and the Beast crossover.

I hope you like it, and please read and review ?

…..

"Are you really an Assassin?"

Malik paused, stopping mid-lunge as he glanced to the side, frowning when he saw several, younger members of the Creed watching from the side-lines. "I am… yes. Why do you ask?"

One of the boys frowned, "There can't be a one-handed Assassin! It's impossible!"

"Really…" Malik twirled the sword extravagantly, smirking as the younger boys gasped in amazement, "… and why's that?"

"… I-It's just not possible! There's never been one before!"

"Then I'll be the first!" Malik showed off a little more, his smile widening as the kids gasped in amazement.

And then he was interrupted.

"What the devil do you think you're doing boy?!"

Malik barely flinched, but the young boys did, and they all scattered in different directions, leaving Malik alone to face the wrath of the approaching Master.

"How dare you…" the Master hissed, "… it's bad enough you insist on following these wild ideas of a one-armed Assassin, but you want to corrupt the younger members too!"

He snatched the sword from Malik's hand, as the Weapons' Master quickly approached, the other man's mouth already open to argue and defend Malik.

…..

Abbas slowly made his way through the forms of swordplay, keeping his eyes on his reflection in the fountain water.

"Perfect…" he muttered to himself, "… there's a reason you're the best assassin this Creed has ever seen."

"Am I interrupting at a bad time?"

Abbas span around to see the Grandmaster standing behind him, one eyebrow raised in silent amusement. "My apologies Grandmaster… how can I help?"

"It appears as though a certain young, one-armed man is in distress… I'd advise you lend him a hand."

…

"Malik!"

Malik, whose face was still burning with humiliation, turned as Abbas came running up to him.

"I heard there was an incident in the training ring today… can I give you a little advice?"

Malik, who was now outside his front door, frowned at Abbas.

"The kind of changes that you're trying to make…. People around here aren't going to trust them!"

Malik scowled at this, "I don't see why I can't be an Assassin. Children should be taught that losing a limb isn't a bad thing!"

"You shouldn't concern yourself with those children…" Abbas scoffed, "… most of them aren't going to make it into the Creed anyway."

"You don't know that!"

"I've met every child in this organisation… I know exactly who's going to make it, and who's not."

Malik rolled his eyes, "It's a large Creed, you can't have met all of them. In fact, I know that you spend most of your time with the Grandmaster, you've haven't had time to meet all the children. I think you should have another look at them… some of them have seriously improved since the beginning." He then raised an eyebrow at Abbas, "And don't think I don't know what you're doing…. We won't make each other happy Abbas. Never."

There was a brief moment of silence, before Abbas sighed. "You do know what the Grandmaster has planned for you, if you don't agree to this? Shipped off to Jerusalem to run an Assassin Bureau…. You worth more than that Malik."

"Be that as it may…." Malik took a deep breath and opened his front door, heading inside, "… I will never be partners with you Abbas, never!"

He slammed the door shut, not daring to move until he knew that Abbas had left. Once he was sure that the other man was far enough away, he stormed away from the door, kicking at the table as he went.

"Who does he think he is?!" he scowled, talking to himself, "Can you imagine me as the partner of that boorish, brainless- "he growled in frustration, "- I won't do it!"

Knocking a bowl off of the table, he practically collapsed into a chair and buried his face in his hand. "I want more than this…" he eventually whispered, "… I don't want to be stuck here doing nothing…. Going to Jerusalem would be worse…. I just wish someone would understand that."

…

"This is certainly a lovely view…" Kadar sighed, gazing out onto the valley, "… only wish I recognised it. Does anyone else know where we are?"

Silence.

"Oh yeah… you're all gone."

The mission had been a disaster, and Kadar had found himself separated from the rest of the team… hence the reason why he was now lost.

"Maybe…. Maybe it's this way." He walked to the right, heading down a path that was surrounded by cliff walls on either side, "Yes… I'm sure we went this way this morning."

"Assassin!"

Kadar span around, to see a group of soldiers racing towards him from the entrance of the valley…. he could easily take them.

Except for the fact that around twenty more soldiers were approaching from the other direction.

Cursing under his breath, Kadar ran to the side, clambering up the cliff walls in order to get away, yelping when rocks struck the back of his legs and his back. He reached the top of the cliff very quickly… only to realise that there were more soldiers waiting for him.

Killing a couple of them, he ran towards the east, stealing a horse from some nearby stables in order to give himself an extra advantage. After a couple minutes of racing through the valleys, and dust covered roads, he saw a tower in the distance.

Gates surrounded the tower on all sides, clearly making it impossible for anyone to enter the area… not that it was going to stop Kadar. He went into a standing position on top of the horse, directing the stallion towards the gates.

Once he was close enough, he leapt over the top and went into a forward roll as he hit the ground.

The guards were left behind, but as soon as Kadar turned his attention back to the tower, a cold shiver went down his spine.

This place was creepy.

When he got closer, he quickly realised that the tower wasn't simply a tower… it actually seemed more like a large home with a tall tower attached.

"Someone will let me stay here the night…" he muttered to himself in determination, "… they have to." He raced up to the front door, slightly unnerved by the lit candles in the window. As he got closer, the door opened up and he made his way inside.

"Thank you, thank- "

There was no-one behind the door.

"… Okay." He slowly shut the door and glanced around the entrance room, "Hello? Sorry to intrude, but I got a little lost. I was hoping I could get some directions? Sorry to disturb you…" He removed his travelling cloak and hung it up (missing how someone removed it from the shadows and shook it out), "Is anyone home? Is anyone awake?"

On a table near the door, he spotted a beautiful candlestick, prompting him to make his way over. "Wow…" he muttered, lifting the candlestick up, only to frown when he noticed a name carved on it, "… Ez-io?"

Then he heard the music coming from a side room.

"Hello?"

He ran towards the sound, opening the door, hoping to catch the owner unaware.

He didn't miss the shadowed figure darting into the shadows, but by the time he made his way over, the figure was gone. When he glanced at the harp, he noticed that the name, ARNO had been carved into the wood.

"Ar-no… Ezio and Arno." Kadar slowly backed out of the room and into the main entrance hall, "Wherever you are… I'm just going to warm myself by the fire. You're lucky, many places don't have these."

He then heard some more sounds coming from the room next door which, as he got closer, turned out to be a kitchen. On the table, was some freshly baked bread and some milk.

"Oh, thank you…" Kadar sighed in relief, only just realising that he was starving, "… thank you, thank you." He sat at the table, and hungrily tore off a piece of bread, stuffing it in his mouth.

And then he noticed the wooden mug, that had a little bird carved on it, "Ja-cob." He frowned, "Ezio, Arno and Jacob? Why- "

"- You should take a sip." Whispered a voice from the darkness, "It's good, I promise."

Kadar nodded in agreement for a few moments, before shooting to his feet and quickly heading out the door. "Thank you for your hospitality…" he called out, his voice trembling slightly, "… I really think I should be going now! Thank you!"

He grabbed his travelling cloak and headed towards the front door, slowly opening the door and slipping out.

Unsurprisingly, he ran.

The lovely views passed by very quickly, and it was clear to Kadar that someone was following him, footsteps echoing through the gardens as they got closer and closer.

Before he could reach the gate, someone tackled him from behind and he went crashing to the ground.

"Mal- "

There was a pinching sensation on the back of his neck before…. Nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

Alright, so in my modern assassin creed series, I very rarely touch upon the Altair/Malik ship… it's there, but I hardly ever talk about it.

So, what do you get when you cross an author who loves Disney crossovers and a loved OTP…. An Altair/Malik Beauty and the Beast crossover.

I hope you like it, and please read and review ?

…..

Malik frowned as he watched the Assassins who had been on a mission, slowly enter the courtyard, dismounting from their horses and making their way towards Al Mualim's chambers.

"Wait!" he cried out, "Where's Kadar?!"

No-one answered him… in fact, they all seemed determined to ignore him.

All but one.

One of the younger members of the team, turned to him and frowned. ""We got separated… he should have been back by now."

"Separated? Where?"

The young man turned to the entrance and gestured vaguely to the right. "Somewhere on the path back from Acre… someone might have given him shelter for the night maybe?"

Malik frowned, shaking his head. "Kadar is never that lucky… and he still should have been back by now."

Before the younger man could say anything else, Malik raced back into his house and grabbed his travelling cloak. Once he had some food packed, he grabbed a horse for himself and charged off out of the city, hoping that some of the smaller villages outside of Masyaf might know exactly where his little brother was.

…..

Nothing.

Malik had been up and down every house, and no-one had seen his brother. Some villagers had heard the cry of soldiers a little to the north, which did little to ease Malik's worries.

He ventured in that direction anyway.

It was then he came across the giant bars that seemed to surround a large area of land… land that held a tower. Slowly, he managed to stand on top of the horse and clamber over the gates, dropping to the ground below with a grunt.

"Kadar…" he muttered, "… I really hope you appreciate this."

Slowly, he limped over to the large home that was attached to the tower, pushing the large door open and heading inside. On the table near the door, he spotted some silver candlestick holders…. And a rather nice axe lying next to it.

Before curiosity come overcome him, he heard coughing coming from somewhere above. Grabbing the lit candlestick (which seemed to have a name carved on it), he headed towards the sound. It seemed to be coming from the tower.

"Kadar?" The further up the stairs he went, the closer the sound got, "Kadar!"

"Malik?"

Malik walked a little further up the stairs, before coming across a cell halfway up the tower, where Kadar was reaching out for him. Placing his source of light on the floor, he knelt by the cell door.

"Malik! How did you find me?!"

Malik frowned at the coldness of his brother's hands, "Your hands are like ice!" he hissed, "We need to get you out of here!"

"Malik, you have to leave at once! He's insane! He's actually insane! No go! Before he finds you!"

"Who?!"

And then he heard the chuckling, that echoed through the stone staircase. Drawing his sword from the scabbard, Malik got to his feet and went on the defensive. "Who's there?! Show yourself!"

Silence.

"Who are you?!"

"Who are you?" another voice replied.

"… I've come for my brother!"

"He's a thief."

"LIAR!"

"He stole food from my table, my food, intended for me!"

Malik rolled his eyes, "He was probably hungry, and if you insist on staying in the shadows, he probably thought it was for him…. Look, if you really want to punish someone, punish me. Kadar has a life he needs to get back to, but I'm- look, just imprison me instead."

"Malik! You can't do that!" Kadar cried out, "He means forever!" he then glared in the direction the voice last came from, "Apparently that's what happens when you eat something you thought was for you!"

Malik turned his own glare to the mysterious voice, "A life sentence for a mistake? Are you mad?!"

The mysterious figure chuckled. "I received eternal damnation for my mistake… I'm merely locking him away. Now, do you still want to take your brother's place?"

The tone of the strangers' voice had changed… it sounded less insane… like it was a completely different person talking.

Malik didn't care about that though… he needed to see this man's face.

"Come into the light." He ordered.

Silence.

Rolling his eyes in frustration, Malik sheathed his sword and grabbed the candlestick holder that was on the floor, holding it near the area he believed the stranger to be. When the light filled the area, the man flinched away, take a step back and hiding once again.

The brief glimpse that he got was enough to tell him that the man was an Assassin, hooded coat and everything, with a little scar bisecting his lips.

"Choose." The voice growled from the shadows.

"Malik…" Kadar hissed from the cells, "… I can't let you do this! I can't go back to the village and continue on with my life, knowing you're in here with him! Now go!"

As his brother started to cough, choking and spluttering with each breath, Malik came to a decision. "Alright Kadar…" he whispered, "… I'll go." He then turned to where he thought the other man was, "I need a minute alone with him."

There was a huff and Malik rolled his eyes.

"You're so cold-hearted, you won't let me say goodbye to my brother?" he questioned, "Forever can spare a minute."

There was a brief moment of silence, before the stranger stepped back into the light and pulled a lever on the wall, opening the cell door. "Once that door closes…" he snarled, "… it will not open again."

Malik didn't hesitate. He put the candle on the floor again, and raced inside the cell, pulling his brother into a one-armed hug. "This is why I should have been with you… None of this getting lost and captured by a mad assassin nonsense!"

Kadar tried to give his brother a reassuring smile, oblivious as Malik twirled them around until Kadar's back was facing the open cell door. "Malik, listen to me…. It's fine! Go, be a Master Assassin and forget about me!"

"Forget about you?" Mali shook his head, "You're my brother, I can't forget about you!"

Kadar shrugged and smiled, "I love you Malik."

"I love you too Kadar… And I will escape, I promise."

"Huh?"

Malik just smirked at him, grabbing his younger brother by the front and shoving him through the open cell door, quickly grabbing the bars and pulling them shut, wincing as his brother cried out in outrage and shock.

The stranger glanced between Kadar and Malik in shock, "You… took his place?" he stammered.

"He's my younger brother… I have to protect him."

"He's a fool…" the stranger smirked, "… and so are you."

Swiftly, he span around and punched Kadar in the gut (seconds before the younger man was going to attack him), before knocking his head against the wall, stunning Kadar into submission.

"Malik…" the younger man groaned as the stranger grabbed him by the hood of his cloak and started to drag him away.

"Kadar! Don't hurt him you- you- "

"- I'll come back!" Kadar interrupted, wriggling furiously, "I promise! I'll come back Malik!"

Taking in the last view he would probably ever see of his younger brother, Malik slumped against the wall and buried his face in his remaining hand, trying to take his mind off his current circumstances.

He would be here for the rest of his life…. And he had to get used to that.


	4. Chapter 4

Alright, so in my modern assassin creed series, I very rarely touch upon the Altair/Malik ship… it's there, but I hardly ever talk about it.

So, what do you get when you cross an author who loves Disney crossovers and a loved OTP…. An Altair/Malik Beauty and the Beast crossover.

I hope you like it, and please read and review ?

…..

He didn't know how long he sat there for… long enough for his stump to start to ache in the cold as the sun fell in the sky.

Suddenly, the door to his cell opened up and the strange voice spoke up from the shadows. "Please follow me… Me, Ezio and Conner are going to show you to your room."

"My room?" Malik pushed himself to his feet, "But I thought- "

"Yes… sorry about that. I was angry at your brother and Evie informed me that I was being ridiculous."

Despite the contrite tone in his voice, Malik didn't hesitate. Swiftly, he darted out the cell, fist raised to strike the strange assassin… who grabbed him and pinned him against the wall, smirking as Malik snarled and tried to break free.

"You are very strong…" he complimented, "… Ezio said you were."

Malik frowned, "…Ezio? Evie? Conner? Who are these people?"

The stranger gestured at the candlestick holder, "That's Ezio." He then gestured at the axe, "And that's Conner."

"A-and it talks?"

"To me…. Yes."

Malik couldn't believe what he was hearing…. This man was mad, actually mad.

"Conner said we should keep you in your cell, because you're an Assassin… but you've only got hand, so you can't be that much of a threat, right?"

This was all said with a smile on his face, but Malik could only see a malicious intent behind it… like everyone else who remarked on his disability.

"Forgive me…"

Malik was startled out of his thoughts as the stranger back away, releasing his grip and holding his hands up.

"… First impressions are important, and I've scared you."

Malik straightened out his travelling cloak and sneered at the man, stepping away from the wall and shaking his head. "You hold too high an opinion of yourself… You are simply a man who believes an axe can talk to him. I see men like you in the streets all the time, and I don't fear them… I pity them."

There was a tense silence between them, before the stranger turned away, gesturing at Malik for him to follow. "This is your home now…" he sighed, as though Malik had never spoken, "… feel free to go wherever you like."

He then stopped in his tracks, "Don't mention the west wing…" he hissed, almost to himself, "… not in the west wing."

"Ummmm, the west wing?"

The stranger span around, a dark expression on his face. "I don't have one."

"… What's in it?"

"Nothing… storage space." The warning glance the stranger gave him, seemed to indicate that Malik should drop the subject. And then, once again, his entire demeanour changed, and he brightened up, "This way to the east wing… or as I like to call it, the only wing!"

They walked for a few minutes, walking down several flights of stairs until they came to another room lower in the tower.

"Welcome to your new home." The stranger opened a large door, "It's modest, but comfortable."

That was putting it lightly… this room was larger than his old home he shared with Kadar. Spinning around, he tried to take everything in, noting the large bed, well-built furniture that held clothes and well-stitched fabrics that made everything seem homelier.

"It's…. very nice." He eventually decided, not wanting to sound too awe-inspired, and quickly changing the subject, "Have you named everything in this place?"

"Only those who I have foreseen."

The cryptic answer didn't do anything to calm Malik's nerves, especially when the strange man gestured at a sword that was hung on the wall, "That's Edward…. He'll protect you."

"Yeah… I'm sure it will."

It was a nice sword. It still looked sharp enough to do some damage, especially if he needed to make a quick getaway.

"I'll leave you to get settled…" the stranger muttered, before closing the door behind him, muttering to himself all the way.

As soon as he thought the man was far enough away, Malik raced over to the window, wrenching them open and peering out…. Nothing beneath that would cushion his fall for the Leap of Faith. Turning to the bed, his eyes fell on the decorated fabrics covering it.

Now there was an idea.

….

"He said no?" Grandmaster Al Mualim questioned, a frown on his face, "How unusual. I would have thought he would be quite content with this decision."

Abbas shook his head, throwing a knife at the wall with unerring precision. "He said he would never be my partner…. Maybe someone else would be more suited to the role?"

"No… I chose you Abbas and you will respect this decision."

"Tell Malik that… I don't understand why he is so resistant. I don't mean to boast Grandmaster, but I am one of the most successful Assassins in the Creed, well-admired. Quick and very rarely seen… why would he say no?"

Al Mualim sighed wearily, "Yes… you are an intimidating figure. I didn't think you were the type to need…. Bolstering."

"I don't… but I am the best fighter in the Creed. I've worked hard every day of my life to be where I am now, to be better than- "He stopped in his tracks, wincing at the warning look on Al Mualim's face, "- I beg your pardon Grandmaster. I didn't mean to bring up the past."

"I should hope not. The past and all those associated with it, should be forgotten."

Before Abbas could apologise again, there was a commotion in the hall down below and someone raced up the stairs, ignoring the cries of the guards.

"Grandmaster! Grandmaster!" Kadar raced towards Al Mualim, "Help, please- someone, someone please help, I- "

One of the guards grabbed him, only to yelp when Kadar gripped his arms. "You need to help me! It's Malik, he's got- he's got Malik in his dungeon!"

"Who's got her?"

"I don't know!" Kadar cried out, "But he was an Assassin, I know it! There's a tower, hidden on the way back from Acre and- "He stopped, frowning when he heard some of the guards sniggering, "- my brother's life is in danger, we need to help him!"

"Looks like Kadar's finally gone mad." One of the guards hissed, taking a step back when Kadar spun around and glared at him.

"Listen to me!" the younger man growled, "T-there is an assassin, hiding out in a tower, hidden on the path back from Acre! You have to listen to me, you have to help me!"

Nothing.

"…Nobody? Will nobody help me?"

There a brief moment of silence, before Al Mualim slowly got to his feet. "Abbas will."

"You will?" Kadar frowned, confusion on his face.

Al Mualim nodded, "The abduction and capture of Malik is nothing to be laughed at. In fact, both me and Abbas will come with you."

Bowing low, his frown turning into a grin, Kadar nodded in thanks. "Thank you, Grandmaster! Thank you so much!"

"Don't thank me dear boy… take us to this hidden tower."

As Kadar turned to walk in the other direction, Al Mualim turned to Abbas and gave him a significant smile, prompting Abbas to raise an eyebrow in understanding.

Befriend the younger brother to get the older brother.

…

"I shouldn't make him dinner…" Altair muttered to himself, carefully moving Jacob and Evie to his side of the table, "… he's a prisoner. No special treatment for prisoners."

He then turned to Ezio and nodded in agreement, "Yes… he might be able to help. That means that we need to befriend him…. Dinner would help, you're right."

He raced up the stairs, arriving in front of his guest's bedroom, before knocking loudly on the door.

"You will join me for dinner!" he announced, "That's not a request."

Silence.

Tilting his head to one side, Altair sighed. "You're right… he's lost his brother and his freedom in one day. He's probably upset."

….

Malik was fine.

And his knots were better than he thought they'd ever be with one hand.

…..

This time, Altair knocked on the door a little more softly, sighing in relief when the other man replied.

"Give me a moment!"

Making sure he was smiling, Altair cleared his throat. "Will you join me for dinner?" He asked, a lot more politely.

"…. You've taken me as your prisoner and now you want to have dinner with me? I knew you were mad!"

Altair knew he had a temper problem… probably why he snapped. "I TOLD YOU TO JOIN ME FOR DINNER!" he bellowed.

"And I said NO! I'd rather STARVE than eat with YOU!"

"FINE, BE MY GUEST! GO AHEAD AND STARVE!" He then turned to the objects on the shelves behind him, "If he doesn't eat with me, then he doesn't eat at all!"

Storming up to his own chambers, his eyes fell on the golden orb… he had been trusted with this artefact all those years ago and it had taught him so much, helped him so much.

"Show me our guest." He demanded, frowning as gold tendrils swirled around in the air, creating a little window, that showed their guest sitting by the door, huddled in on himself as he quietly prayed under his breath.

"Enough…" Altair sighed, waving his hand to make the window disappear, "…. I don't want to see anymore."

He started to pace the room, his face creased in worry as he wondered what to do.

How could he befriend this man?


	5. Chapter 5

Alright, so in my modern assassin creed series, I very rarely touch upon the Altair/Malik ship… it's there, but I hardly ever talk about it.

So, what do you get when you cross an author who loves Disney crossovers and a loved OTP…. An Altair/Malik Beauty and the Beast crossover.

I hope you like it, and please read and review ?

…..

BANG

BANG

BANG

Malik turned away from the window, from where he was lowering the material rope and glared at the door. "I told you to go away!"

There was a brief moment of silence, before;

BANG

BANG

BANG

Slowly, Malik tried to hide the escape rope, before walking over to the door and cracking it open, just enough for him to look out.

Nothing.

When he glanced down, he spotted a cup of wine on the floor, the name EVIE carved onto its' side with a note next to it, an unfamiliar scrawl on it.

 _Sorry_

 _It's a long journey. Have some of this._

 _Altair_

'Altair' Malik thought to himself, 'Why does that name sound so familiar?'

Ignoring the fact that his captor seemed to sense that he was trying to escape, Malik picked up the cup and sighed. "Sorry Ev-ie… but needs must."

As he sipped at the wine, his thoughts turned to Kadar…. He was worried about him, to put it bluntly. Kadar had never been on his own, never had to live alone, never without his older brother to guide him through life… to help him.

Then it occurred to him… he was starving.

Yes, this Altair said that if he didn't eat with him, then he wouldn't eat at all…. But let Altair try and stop him.

Creeping out of the room (grabbing EVIE as he went), Malik made his way down the stairs to the kitchen…. Where a warm meal was waiting on the table.

Another cup of wine, identical to EVIE (except with JACOB written on it) was sitting next to the meal, and a harp, with ARNO carved on it, stood nearby.

"Mad…. Absolutely mad." Malik muttered, taking a seat at the table and eagerly tucking into the food…. Even if it was meant to be Altair's food, it's not as if he could get into any more trouble by eating it himself.

Halfway through the meal, he sighed and glanced at the JACOB mug, "It's sad when I start to prefer the company of cups to that of my jailer." He then glanced back in the direction of the stairs, "I wonder… what's he hiding?"

Remembering the forbidden wing that Altair had unwittingly mentioned, Malik pushed himself away from the table and headed west, slowly making his way up the stairs, to the west wing. Eventually he found himself in a large room, with clutter scattered all around it.

On a desk, a hidden blade sat there…. One that only could have been provided by the Creed. In another corner, some destroyed assassin robes sat there, clearly torn in a moment of fury.

And then there was the golden orb... it rested on a pedestal, situated in the centre of a table in a remarkably tidy corner of the room.

"A… piece of Eden?" Malik whispered, making his way over to it and holding his hand over it.

However, before he could even think about touching it, someone grabbed his shoulder and threw him onto the floor.

"What are you doing here?!" Altair yelled, glancing between the orb and Malik, "What did you do to it?!"

"N-Nothing!" Malik stammered, not willing to admit that he was now, slightly afraid.

"Don't you realise what you could have done?! You could have damned the entire Creed!" There was a brief pause, before, "GET OUT OF HERE! GO!"

Malik didn't hesitate, pushing himself to his feet and racing out the door.

He didn't care if it was dangerous…. He needed to get out of here.

It took him a while to climb a tree that was situated right next to the fence, but eventually, he managed to clamber up and make his way over, running back in the direction that he believed he came from originally.

He didn't see the soldiers following up until it was too late.

"STOP! ASSASSIN!"

Malik kept running, desperately trying not to look back…. It was never good to see how many soldiers were chasing you.

And then he came to the edge of a cliff.

"WE'VE GOT HIM!"

Malik cursed violently under his breath, before spinning around and darting forwards, punching one soldier in the mouth, and taking his sword, before stabbing another one through the eye. Unfortunately, one wrong move caused him to lose the sword, leaving him defenceless… and backed up to the edge of the cliff once again.

"Such a shame…" sneered the head soldier, "… another Assassin dead at the end of my sword."

Malik tried not to show it, but he was a little bit terrified.

And then Altair dropped down from a nearby tree, his hidden blade diving into the neck of a soldier, before he spun around and stabbed another in his eye.

It was an amazing display, and Malik hated to admit it…. But he was transfixed.

Altair even suffered a slice to the leg and barely seemed to slow down, his blade slicing through soldier after soldier.

And then the commander stabbed him in his shoulder, from the back, sending Altair to his knees. With most of the other soldiers down or fleeing, Malik decided to leap into the fray once again, struggling with the commander as the man tried to stab the other assassin again.

Taking advantage of the distraction Malik had given him, Altair snapped the Commanders' neck, before collapsing back onto the ground.

For a brief second, Malik considered leaving him there…. Other soldiers would probably be along soon, but Altair would be able to manage them… wouldn't he.

He moved to leave, and then doubled back, grumbling under his breath. "Come on…" he kicked at Altair's body, "… you've got to get up, because I can't carry you."

"…. You sure?"

Malik kicked him again, a scowl on his face. "Get up."

Slowly but surely, Altair managed to push himself to his feet and support himself against Malik (who helped begrudgingly). "I can make it from here…" Altair grunted, "… let go of me!"

"Not unless you want to be killed by the next wave of soldiers who come by this valley."

…..

"We're close! I'm sure we are!"

Abbas and the Grandmaster scowled at Kadar's back, as the younger man continued to lead them here, there and everywhere.

"Enough is enough!" Abbas eventually blurted out, "We have to go back, before this valley is completely over-run!"

Kadar shook his head, "Here! I was here when the soldiers first attacked…. Which means that I went this way… or was it this way?" He was silent for a few moments, before pointing to the right, "It was definitely this way."

"I have had enough of this game!" Abbas growled, storming up to Kadar and pinning him against a nearby cliff wall, "Where. Is. Malik?"

"The Assassin in the tower has him!" Kadar pleaded, "We need- "

"- Listen to yourself! There is no Assassin living in some mysterious tower! But there are soldiers and starvation!"

"Deep breath Abbas." Grandmaster Al-Mualim scolded softly from behind, "Deep breaths."

Abbas did as he was told, taking a deep breath before forcing a smile on his face, "Look…. Why don't we go back to the village and I'm sure Malik will be waiting there for you."

"If you really believe I lied about all this, then why offer to help?"

"…. Because I want to become Malik's… partner." Abbas dropped Kadar to the ground and took another deep breath, "Now let's go back to the village."

As he turned away, Kadar couldn't help but have the last word. "Malik is not back at the village, he is with the Assassin in- "

"- Mention that Assassin one more time and I will leave you out here for the soldiers to find!" Abbas bellowed, spinning around and grabbing Kadar once again, preparing to slam the younger Assassin against the tree again.

Before he could, however, Al-Mualim came up behind him and grabbed his shoulder, forcing Abbas to let Kadar go, before turning the older Assassin around and encouraging Abbas to look him in the eye.

"Remain calm." The Grandmaster ordered, "Take deep breaths."

Kadar watched in alarm as Abbas did as he was bid, before spinning back around to face him, a slightly manic smile on his face. "Kadar…" Abbas started, clearly forcing himself to calm down, "… do forgive me for that. That is really no way to speak to someone who may be family someday soon."

"Family?" Kadar straightened up and glared at the older Assassin, "I don't care what's been planned, but you will never be Malik's partner."

Both Abbas and Al-Mualim tensed up at this, glancing at each other briefly, before Abbas snarled and struck Kadar across the face, knocking him out instantly.

"Well I saw that coming." The grandmaster sighed wearily, "Tie him up and leave him here. Kadar might not need to give us his permission, but he does stand in our way if he protests against the partnership."

"… Are you sure Grandmaster. Can we not simply send him to the madhouse?"

Al-Mualim frowned at the younger man, "And if someone decides to investigate? If they find the tower and what's inside? We can't risk that, so Kadar must be silenced."


	6. Chapter 6

Alright, so in my modern assassin creed series, I very rarely touch upon the Altair/Malik ship… it's there, but I hardly ever talk about it.

So, what do you get when you cross an author who loves Disney crossovers and a loved OTP…. An Altair/Malik Beauty and the Beast crossover.

I hope you like it, and please read and review ?

…..

"AAAAHHHHH!" Altair glared at Malik, "That hurts!"

"Well if you just held still, it wouldn't hurt as much!"

"If you hadn't run away, this would never have happened!"

Malik snarled in frustration, "If you hadn't…. un-nerved me like that, that I wouldn't have ran away!"

"You shouldn't have been in the West Wing!"

"You should learn to hold your temper!"

Altair huffed and rolled over, his back facing Malik, who simply rolled his eyes.

"Get some rest…" he muttered, placing the wet cloth to one side and heading out the room, ignoring the different, named objects scattered around the room.

'Altair' he thought to himself, 'why did that name sound so familiar?'

As he headed towards his own room, Malik suddenly had flashes of training with another boy his own age, laughing as they rolled in the dust and sand. It was a happy memory, he knew that much, but he couldn't remember the name of the child.

"Stop it…" he muttered to himself, "… just focus on getting out of here."

….

Kadar groaned weakly as he felt a cup being placed against his lips, silently encouraging him to take a sip.

"Drink." A female voice gently ordered, tipping the cup a little bit more and pressing it harder into his lips.

Smelling the familiar scent of wine, Kadar gently sipped at it, colour returning to his cheeks when his senses started to come back to him. When he opened his eyes, he felt his breath practically leave his body.

This woman was stunning.

Her entire body seemed to glow, to the point where he couldn't really see her facial features.

"Thank you…" he muttered, still slightly weak from the head wound, "… May I ask your name?"

"…. Sleep Kadar. I will see you home safely."

….

Altair grunted when he heard someone panting by his bedside, rolling over to see what was going on.

He stared.

Malik was making his way through the sword movements and stances taught by the Creed, adjusting them slightly to make up for his missing arm…..and it was all done shirtless.

It was…. Well, to be honest, it was a stunning sight.

"Your leg could do with being a little more to the right." He interrupted, smirking as Malik glared at him, before making the adjustments.

"You know the stance?"

Altair smirked, "I used to be an Assassin as well… still am really." He then frowned, "I would have thought you'd prefer the more offensive stances?"

"… I'm sorry?"

"You were very quick to attack me… I thought you would prefer- "

"- having one arm makes the offensive stances a little harder to pull off. My sword arm may be strong, but the balance is never quite right."

"That's no excuse…" Slowly, Altair got to his feet and headed over to a cluttered desk against the opposite wall, "… I have something here…."

There were a couple minutes of frantic shuffling, before Altair emerged with a hook-like blade with a triumphant shout. He then quickly made his way over to Malik and grabbed his stump.

"Hey!" Malik protested, trying to pull back as Altair started to attach the strange device to his stump, wrapping long strips of leather around his arm and torso., "What are you- "

"- Stay still."

Eventually, Altair stopped and took a step back, admiring the device on Malik's arm. "There. What do you think?"

Malik glanced at the strange device. It was some sort of blade that had a hook on the end, designed much like the hidden blades that every Assassin was given.

"… What is it?"

"… A hook-blade. It can be used as a weapon, and to aid in climbing." Altair shrugged, "I made this one a little longer than necessary, but it'll probably work for you…. Do you wish to try it out?"

Malik couldn't summon up the words, blindly allowing Altair to take his hand and lead him outside, until they were standing at the bottom of the tower.

"The hook will latch onto loose bricks and holes in the tower, and then you'll be able to make it to the top easily."

Malik still didn't look sure.

"Come on…" Altair started to make his own way up the tower, glancing down and smiling at the other man, "… don't you trust me?"

"The man holds me prisoner and asks if I trust him…" Malik grumbled, taking a running leap at the tower and using the hook-blade to latch onto a loose brick. It was a slow process, but eventually, Malik found himself overtaking Altair as he sped up the tower, finally reached the roof and sitting on the ledge.

"Wonderful!" he exclaimed, momentarily forgetting about the fact that he was a prisoner, "Did you really this?"

"Well…. She told me how."

Assuming that 'she' was referring to the orb, Malik chose to remain silent… it was a touchy subject after all.

"If you want to keep it, you can…" Altair continued, "… I can always make another one."

Outwardly, Malik simply nodded, almost looking disinterested in the proceedings…. Inwardly, he was jumping up and down in joy.

Maybe…. Maybe this whole prisoner thing wasn't so bad.

…

Over the next few days, Malik found himself paying more attention to Altair, trying to place where he'd heard the name before.

The other man had horrendous table manners, clearly not used to dining with people.

He was highly skilled at fighting, and yet, would go nowhere near any large pool of water. When asked why, Altair shuffled from side to side nervously. "I-I can't swim."

"… Really?"

"It's mostly sand and stone in these areas, I never felt it would be needed!"

As the days passed by, Malik started to build up a picture of the other Assassin. There was something sweet, almost kind about the other man…. He'd clearly not had any contact with anyone else in years, so he was a bit unsure.

There was something there, that Malik hadn't seen before.

….

Little did Malik know, Altair was having his own thoughts about the other man in his home.

Malik was acting differently, not criticising every little thing he did, not scowling at him from across the room… in fact, the other man seemed to be smiling at him more.

Altair tried to act natural, tried to ignore it.

But it was nice to see Malik smiling at him for once.

….

This was new… new and bit alarming.

Watching Altair train was causing new… feelings in Malik, and he wasn't sure if he particularly liked them. Prisoners shouldn't start to like their captives, it didn't work like that, it should never work like that!

Altair was mad, so what did that make Malik?

Although, maybe Altair wasn't as mad as he made out to be.

On one occasion, as he was walking through the gardens, he spotted Altair training under a stone arch.

"Your left arm's not up high enough."

Altair smirked at the sly jab, adjusting his position as Malik walked closer,

"And here I though a Master assassin would be able to perfect that pose…. Are you sure you're not a lost novice?"

"Alright, alright…" Altair groaned, moving into a rest pose, "… you do have a sense of humour then."

There was a brief moment of silence, before Malik sighed, "Look…. I never thanked you. For saving my life."

"Well… I never thanked you for not leaving me to be found by more soldiers." Altair chuckled, "That… that would have been unfortunate."

"Hmmmm…. I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Oh?"

"What rank were you? In the Creed?"

Altair seemed stunned by the question, a brief silence following it on, before he turned away, almost in shame. "I was a Master Assassin…. Something… something happened, and I was banished here. Forced to look after the Piece of Eden I'd almost lost and forced to work my up from novice once again."

"Why?" Malik suddenly had a horrible feeling in his stomach, "Why were you banished here?"

"… I don't remember."

It was obvious that Altair was concealing the truth from him, but Malik chose not to comment, the pair falling into a slightly tenser silence.

"Can I ask you something?"

Malik knew what the man was going to ask but nodded in agreement anyway.

"How did you lose your arm?"

"… I was on a mission..." Malik sighed, "… I can't remember what it was for, and I can't remember who I was with. Kadar was meant to be on the mission, but he was still too young and the mission too dangerous. Something went wrong…. My arm was apparently crushed under some fallen rock and had to be removed… "

"… Were you the only survivor?"

Malik shook his head, "I know I was helped home by one person from my team…. The Grandmaster told me as much and it was the other Assassin who broke our rules and led to the mission failing…. They won't tell me what happened to him."

He then chuckled self-deprecatingly, "It wasn't even my fault that I became like this, but the Creed still shuns me for it."

"… I'm sorry."

Malik frowned in confusion, "Why? It wasn't your fault?"

Wince.

"Altair… what aren't you telling me?"

There was a tense silence, before Altair got to his feet and gestured for Malik to follow him. "I… I have something to tell you."


	7. Chapter 7

Alright, so in my modern assassin creed series, I very rarely touch upon the Altair/Malik ship… it's there, but I hardly ever talk about it.

So, what do you get when you cross an author who loves Disney crossovers and a loved OTP…. An Altair/Malik Beauty and the Beast crossover.

I hope you like it, and please read and review ?

…..

"Altair… Altair, where are we going?"

Silence.

Malik frowned at Altair's back, following him to the other Assassin's chambers… the forbidden chambers.

"I'm not going any further until you tell me what's going on."

Stopping in his tracks, Altair twisted around, a slightly devastated look on his face.

"I-I need to tell you something… and if you never want to speak to me again, then so be it."

Now Malik was worried.

As they entered the chambers, Altair led them both over to the Piece of Eden before taking a deep breath. "I know what your mission was…"

"What?"

Altair gestured at the Piece of Eden, "It was to retrieve this… the mission was to go into an abandoned Temple in order to gather information about Robert Sable… when it was revealed that he had the Piece of Eden, one member of your team… made a terrible choice…. Which then led to you loosing your arm and the Creed almost loosing the Piece of Eden."

"Altair?"

Taking a deep shuddering breath, Altair turned to fully face Malik. "I was the other person on the team… I was the one who caused the accident, I was the one who ruined everything… that's the reason why I was banished here, why I had to work my way up from novice again."

He fell to his knees in front of Malik and bowed his head. "I broke the three rules of the Creed… and I can never forgive myself for that… I don't expect you to forgive me either."

"Y-y-you knew who I was the whole time… didn't you?"

"Not really… I suspected but- but it was only when you told me what happened that I was sure… I swear Malik, as soon as you told me- "

"- You- you- "Malik turned violently away from Altair, ignoring how the man fell forwards at the action, "I-I need some air."

"Malik, please- "

"- Leave me be!"

Ignoring Altair's protests, Malik stormed away, heading straight for his room and collapsing onto the bed, squeezing his eyes closed as a flood of memories came rushing back to him.

/ "Oh, and how would you have done it?"

"I wouldn't have drawn my blade against an innocent Altair. I would have followed the Creed!"

…

"Don't do this Altair! The Grandmaster said we must only make an attempt on the object when it is the last possible option. We are here to observe!"

"Sable stands in the way of us and that treasure… we go on the attack! \\\

After that, there was only pain… the pain of having the ruins of the Temple fall on him, the pain of being dragged out of the ruins, the pain of having his arm amputated… just pain.

As his stump started to ache with the memory, Malik shot to his feet and started pacing the room, angrily muttering to himself as his thought about everything that Altair said… how Altair treated him when he first got here… and how they interacted now.

The man he remembered from the mission and the man he lived with now didn't seem like the same person.

Speaking of Altair;

"Malik?" Altair knocked from the other side of the door, "I know you'll find it hard to forgive me… but I wanted to apologise for something else. I-I'm sorry about your brother… you always talked about him when we were on missions and I- I shouldn't have attacked him as I did… I am sorry."

When Malik remained silent, there was a deep sigh from the other side of the door.

"I'll be training downstairs for a while… if you want to join me, you're more than welcome to."

….

"This is quite the storm…" Abbas sighed, as he stared out of the tower and watched the clouds in the sky, "… Are you sure we cannot simply go back and collect Kadar before the soldiers find him? The madhouse is always an option."

The Grandmaster simply glanced over at him, a stern look on his face, effectively silencing Abbas in his tracks… for a few moments anyway.

"I am simply concerned that someone else may find him, another member of the Creed perhaps… someone's who's not willing to simply kill him on the spot."

"You are thinking about this too much Abbas, the chances of that occurring are- "

Before the Grandmaster could finish, there was a banging on the door as a familiar voice could be heard.

"Grandmaster! Grandmaster, I need to speak to you!"

The Grandmaster and Abbas both turned towards the door in surprise, tensing at the sound of Kadar's voice.

"Grandmaster!" This voice was different, "Grandmaster, we require an audience."

Another Master of the Creed was outside as well.

Straightening up, Abbas went to open the door, allowing the Master and Kadar into the room… Kadar who had a quite bad head wound.

"Kadar has brought forward some very serious accusations against you and Master Abbas…" The other Master began, "… accusations which I am duty bound to investigate. Did the pair of you leave Kadar to die?"

There was a brief pause, before the Grandmaster plastered a fond smile on his face and took a step forwards. "Kadar, thank the Lord that you are alright. I was just discussing with Abbas, that we may have to send people out to look for you."

"You tried to kill me!" Kadar protested, "You left me there, for the soldiers to find!"

"Did we?" the Grandmaster raised an imperial eyebrow, "It's one thing to rant and shout about your delusions, but to accuse me and a top Master of attempted murder is another thing altogether."

"Kadar…" Kadar turned to face the other Master, "… do you have any proof of what you're saying?"

"T-There was a lady! From the village I think, she found me!"

"Do you know her name?"

"N-No… but it's all true!" He turned to Abbas, a beseeching look on his face, "Please… don't you have any honour left?!"

Abbas didn't need any stern looks from the Grandmaster in order to know what to say. He straightened up and sneered at Kadar, "You really wish to accuse me of trying to kill you? It did not happen Kadar and you need to accept that."

Kadar lost it.

With a cry of fury, he ran over to Abbas, fist drawn back for a punch as he snarled at the older Master. Within seconds, Abbas grabbed his wrist and had him pinned against the floor, a knee digging into his back.

"A very poor decision…" Abbas hissed into his ear, before raising his voice, "… Kadar, it pains me to say this, but you've become a danger to yourself and others… that's probably why Malik ran away."

At Kadar's shocked look, Abbas continued. "You aren't well Kadar… you need to place to heal your troubled mind."

He pulled Kadar to his feet and pinned his arms behind his back. "Everything will be alright…" he hissed, as other Assassins made their way into the room, "… just relax Kadar."

…..

For what felt like hours, Malik lay on his bed, staring up at his ceiling as a flood of memories started to bombard him.

The betrayal at knowing that Altair was the one who betrayed him. The other Assassin's arrogant tone before he went on the attack.

But there were other memories as well, contrasting against the bad ones

Memories of training with a boy around his age, laughing and mock jeering as they rolled around in the dirt. Young teenagers sitting side by side, shuffling closer, even as the watchful eye of a Master stared at them.

Altair promising that one day, they would be partners as he slowly gained the Grandmaster's confidence, rising to the top of the ranks, even as Malik was left behind… now that was an Altair he was familiar with.

That was the Altair he'd come to know over the last few days… that was Altair he liked.

"I don't know what to do…" he muttered to the ceiling, "… He cost me my arm… but he was my friend, is my friend!"

Silence.

"Alright, alright…" Slowly, Malik pushed himself upright, remembering that Altair mentioned training, "… just… he's not the same assassin. Not anymore… Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."

Slowly, he left the room and headed down to the training area, stopping when he spotted Altair in the centre of the area, slowly making his way through the stances with a miserable look on his face.

"Altair?"

Altair stopped in his tracks, spinning around and staring at Malik, his mouth open in shock which made Malik shuffle nervously from side to side.

"I was wondering if that offer to train together was still- "

"- Yes! Yes, of course!" Altair flushed slightly at how eager he sounded, before bowing, "I would be honoured to train with you."

"Or spar maybe?"

Altair looked a little more nervous at this, but nodded anyway, watching as Malik shed his outer robe until his chest was fully exposed.

"Ready?"

Before Altair could say anything, Malik leapt at him, a ferocious smirk on his face as Altair was forced to dive to the side.

As the fight went on, Malik's attacks got less and less ferocious, and it started to turn into more of a dance than an actual match.

Malik knew he was starting to forgive Altair, and that was alright with him.

That was alright.


	8. Chapter 8

Alright, so in my modern assassin creed series, I very rarely touch upon the Altair/Malik ship… it's there, but I hardly ever talk about it.

So, what do you get when you cross an author who loves Disney crossovers and a loved OTP…. An Altair/Malik Beauty and the Beast crossover.

I hope you like it, and please read and review ?

…..

By the end of the match, the pair were lying on the floor, panting heavily as they stared up at the sky.

"I haven't sparred like that in years…" Altair gasped, clutching his side, "… I'd almost forgotten what it felt like."

"Hmmmm…" Malik actually found himself too tired to speak… but he felt the same.

Almost no-one had wanted to spar with him after he'd lost him arm, and to win against the man who had once been arrogant enough to cause it… well, it was once of the greatest feelings in the world.

"I know it's foolish of me…" Altair began again, "… to think that someday you might forgive me for what I've done to you, but- "

"- It is foolish for me to remain so angry at someone who is so different from who I remember."

Altair seemed stunned by this but seemed unable to say anything.

It was then that Malik noticed the JACOB mug was on a bench near the edge of the training ring.

"Where do you get these names from?" he asked suddenly, his eyes still on the mug, "I don't recognise them from any books or records of the past."

"That's because they are the names of future Assassins."

Malik frowned at this, turning his head until he was looking at Altair, "I beg your pardon?"

Smiling fondly at Malik, Altair gestured for him to follow. "I'll show you."

….

Once again, Malik found himself following Altair to the tower, where the Piece of Eden was being kept.

"It shows me everything…" Altair whispered, "… including the future of the Creed."

As if on cue, golden tendrils slowly made their way out of the Orb, swirling all around the room, forming small circles which seemed to ripple like pools of water.

These 'pools' then shimmered to reveal strange faces.

One has a scar very similar to Altair and was brandishing a sword against a man dressed very similar to a scholar.

"That's Ezio… he will lose the majority of his family before he takes up the cloak."

The next window showed a large man chasing another through a burning ship, a large axe by his side.

"Conner… he loses his mother to the Templars… on of which is his Father."

Next window; a man sailing a ship through rough waters.

"Edward… he's Conner's Grandfather."

Next; a man sneaking through an extravagant home, with more jewels and gold in one room, than Malik had ever seen in his entire life.

"Arno… the only assassin who actually fell in love with a Templar."

Malik frowned at this, turning to Altair who chuckled. "They have female Templar's by this point."

In the final window, there were twins, a female and male, who were bantering and laughing with each other.

"Evie and Jacob… and yes, female assassins will happen someday. They're our future."

Malik gazed at all the windows in amazement, a grin on his face. "This is… wonderful… can it show you anything?"

"Anything."

"… I want to see my brother."

Altair flinched slightly but nodded in understanding. "Of course… just ask it and it will show you whatever you want."

There was a brief moment of silence, before Malik turned to the Piece of Eden, "I want to see my brother. I want to see Kadar."

The orb quivered for a few moments, before a large window appeared in front of Malik, blurring slightly for a few moments, before it revealed Kadar, who was violently struggling against the grip of Assassin guards, who were dragging him out of the Assassin hideout and towards familiar looking men.

Men who dealt with those who had lost their minds.

"What are they doing to him?!" he growled, big brother protectiveness surging through his blood already, at the sight of Kadar yelping in pain, his arm twisted behind his back painfully, "He's in trouble!"

"… Then you must go to him."

Malik turned to Altair in shock, "What did you say?"

"You must go to him…. No time to waste."

Almost like he was in a trance, Malik stumbled forwards, his hand moving towards the hook-blade Altair had given to him, numb fingers fiddling with the buckles.

"No, no, no…" Altair interrupted, placing gentle hands on top of Malik's, "… keep it. Show those other Assassins that it doesn't matter if you have one arm or two… you can still be more than them…. Use one of my horses, you'll get there faster."

Malik was clearly still in shock, slowly stepping back in preparation to run to his brother's aid. "Thank you…" he muttered in shock, suddenly darting forwards and pulling Altair into a hug, "… Thank you so much."

Before Altair could say anything in return, Malik was gone, rushing out of the tower and into the world beyond Altair's home.

But not without one last look at the place he'd grown to love.

And the man.

….

"I set him free because I cannot bare to see him unhappy…" Altair explained to the Piece of Eden, feeling like it was judging him, "… because I love him."

He started to pace the room, moving towards the balcony as he heard horses down below, indicating that Malik was probably there.

He needed to watch the other man leave.

"I used to have it all…" he spoke softly, "… I controlled everything about my fate. I thought I didn't need anybody in my life… but I learned the hard way. Malik changed me you know… I know he'll never come back, but he's still here, I feel like he's still here."

He then scoffed, "I used to think love was childish… now I can't think of anything else! Now I can't think of anything else but him.

From his view from the balcony, Altair watched as Malik rode out of the enclosed area, before disappearing into the valley beyond.

He was gone… and he was never coming back.

And Altair knew he had to accept that.

…

"Grandmaster, I really must protest!" cried out the weapons master, as he followed the guards who were dragging Kadar away, "Surely we can take care of him here, instead of making him live with the other conflicted individuals?!"

Abbas and the Grandmaster ignored him, with Abbas leaning in close to Kadar and hissing in his ear. "Have you ever seen the inside of a mad house Kadar? You won't last a week…. Just agree to the terms and give me Malik, and I'm sure the Grandmaster will let this little matter pass."

"Never!" Kadar growled, "I would rather die!"

Abbas shook his head in disappointment, taking a step back and merely watching as the guards continued to drag Kadar away.

He would have tried to save the younger man… he gave him that choice.

…..

Malik almost regretted leaving as soon as he did…. But he had to save Kadar. Forcing his thoughts away from Altair and their last words, he focused on the memory of his brother struggling between guards and pushed the horse to go faster.

As he galloped through the streets, shouting at people to get out of the way, he quickly spotted his brother and the guards leaving the Creed grounds, pushing the horse a little bit more and stopping them from leaving as he swiftly leapt off the horse and disarmed the guards, knocking them to the ground and pushing them away from his little brother.

"Kadar!" he exclaimed in relief, grinning as the younger man gripped him tightly.

"Malik! You're here!"

"I'll always be there when you're in trouble…" Malik then turned to Abbas and got to his feet, tensing in preparation for a fight, "… what do you think you are doing?!"

"Malik please…" Abbas held up his hands in mock surrender, "… You know how loyal I am to your family, but your brother has been making some unbelievable claims."

"It's true…" spoke up one of the guards, "… he's been talking about some assassin living in a tower, away from the Creed!"

Malik frowned at this, "I've just come from the tower and yes, there is an assassin living there!" He then turned to the Grandmaster, "I'm surprised you are letting this happen Grandmaster, considering you're the one who sent him to live there."

There was a stunned silence, before the Grandmaster stepped forwards. "You would say anything to set your brother free… even accuse me of such a heinous crime?"

"Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad."

The name stunned the Grandmaster into silence, as well as everyone else…. Apparently, everyone had heard of the man.

"… What of him?" The Grandmaster sneered, "He was executed for his crimes against the Creed, crimes which left you without an arm."

If he was hoping to shock Malik, he was sorely disappointed.

"No…" Malik smirked, "… you faked his death so that he could be the guardian of- "He then stopped in his tracks, as though the words were stuck in his throat.

Did he really want to be telling Abbas about the Piece of Eden, knowing what the man was like?

"The guardian of what?" The Grandmaster clearly knew what he was talking about, a sly smirk on his face and he stepped closer.

When Malik remained stubbornly silent, the Grandmaster smirked and turned his attention back to the gathering crowd. "It appears as though we have a rogue assassin in our midst…. One who seems to have something very powerful in his possession. This cannot go unchallenged!"

"What are you talking about?!" Malik exclaimed, "Altair has willingly stayed away from here because of your orders! He hasn't done anything wrong!"

Abbas stepped forwards at this point, a look of shock on his face. "He's clearly got you under some sort of spell Malik… if I didn't know any better, I'd say that you cared for him!"

"Trust me Abbas, he's not the monster in this situation… you are!"

"Enough Malik!" The Grandmaster scolded, "Altair has clearly manipulated you… he has broken the rules of the Creed before, and he will break them again. He is a threat to our way of way and cannot be allowed to continue." He held up a hand before Malik could continue, "We can't have you running off to warn your new friend… lock him up with his brother. They will face a trial together."


	9. Chapter 9

Full credit for this chapter goes to EclipseKuran who came up with the fantastic idea of having the named, inanimate objects turn into the assassins they were named after due to the Piece of Eden's powers. It was a fantastic idea, and they deserve all the credit for it!

…..

"They will face a trial together."

"No!" Malik tried to struggle as the guards dragged him and Kadar towards the nearby cells, "You won't get away with this!"

As he and his brother were dragged away, Abbas took control of the situation.

"Stand guard! Don't let them escape! Altair will try and kill us all if we don't do something soon… Well I say we kill him first! For the good of the Creed!"

The crowd all cried in agreement.

"We're not safe until he's dead!"

"He'll come stalking us at night!"

"The children will never be safe!"

"He'll wreak havoc on our village if we let him wander free!"

"So it's time to take some action!" Abbas announced, "It's time to follow me! We won't come back until the rouge Assassin, Altair is brought down and killed for his crimes against the Creed!"

As the other assassins rushed to grab their weapons and armour up, the Grandmaster strode over to Abbas and pulled him closer, "We'll keep them on our side…. No matter what, you must get the Piece of Eden."

"… Yes Grandmaster. Whatever you ask of me."

As they all set off on the mission, nobody questioned how Abbas and the Grandmaster already knew the way to the tower.

…..

Altair frowned at the sight of the army of Assassins heading towards his tower.

Huh… maybe Malik didn't like him as much as he thought he did.

As he watched the small army break into the tower grounds, he failed to notice how the Piece of Eden quivered slightly and golden tendrils started to reach out towards the inanimate objects.

…..

Malik peered through the bars, glaring at the guard who was pacing the corridor.

"I need to warn Altair." He hissed, pushing himself away from the door as his brother frowned.

"Warn him? How did you get away from him?"

Falling to his knees beside his brother, Malik shook his head. "He let me go free brother… he sent me back to you."

Kadar frowned at this, "I-I don't understand."

"I know… I don't really understand either. I know that Altair was the man who caused me to lose my arm… but he's not that man anymore."

"… Are you sure? He might still be dangerous… this entire situation is dangerous!"

"Yes… and isn't that just thrilling?"

Kadar smirked at this, shaking his head in exasperation before glancing at the door. "Well… you're lucky I remember all our lock-picking lessons."

"Do you even have your lock-picks?"

"They didn't search me… amateurs."

…

"Are you not the least bit concerned that Altair will tell everyone what we did?" Abbas hissed in the Grandmaster's ear.

"Don't lose your nerve Abbas… you kill Altair quickly. Don't give him time."

As they wandered into the small cottage, there was a sudden flash of golden light, before 6 ghost-like figures suddenly appeared in front of them.

"Stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent…" hissed one of the figures, flicking his wrists as two hidden blades were activated.

"… Hide in plain sight" stated another, who was so large that it was surely impossible for him to hide anywhere.

"Never compromise the Brotherhood." Finished a blonde one, who had strange weaponry attached to his belt, skulls on his uniform.

"Nothing is true; everything is permitted." This time, the man who spoke wore a blue Assassin's Creed uniform, brandishing a thin sword at the gathered army.

"We work in the dark…" At the definite female voice, many of the Assassin's frowned in confusion… a female Assassin? It just wasn't done.

"… to serve the light." Finished a man who looked almost exactly like the female.

"We are Assassins!"

As the ghostly figures finished their chants, they all charged at the other assassins, the entire situation devolving into chaos.

"What do we do Grandmaster?" Abbas panicked slightly, watching as one of the figures knocked three people out at once.

"Find Altair and kill him… and anyone who stands in your way."

…

"No…" hissed the guard who had been left in charge of the cells, "…. No, no, no, no!"

The cell was empty.

He slammed the door shut, panicking internally… until he noticed Kadar standing to his right. "Sorry about this…" the younger man sighed, "… I would have simply left you alone, but Malik insisted it had to be this way."

"Wha- UGH!"

The guard fell to the ground as Malik struck him across the back of the head.

"… I still don't think that was necessary."

"I do not particularly care Kadar…. Now get me a horse. I need to warn Altair!"

…

"Let's get out of here!"

As the Assassin army ran out of the doors, they failed to notice an ethereal figure striding up the stairs, the ghostly figures turning back into inanimate objects as she passed by.

…..

"I believe I told you remain away from the Creed Altair."

Altair barely flinched at the familiar voice.

"Abbas… deal with him."

Altair turned and glared at the other assassin who was smirking at him.

"Nice to see you again Altair…" Abbas sneered, "… Malik says hello."

At Altair's crestfallen face, Abbas chuckled, "Oh… were you in love with him? Did you honestly think he'd want someone like yo- UGH!"

Without any warning, Altair flicked his wrist and there was a flash and a BANG!

Blood started to spread across Abbas's tunic, right where his heart was. Abbas gasped a few times in shock, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth, before he collapsed to the ground, eyes still open as the light faded from them.

"ALTAIR!"

Without even pausing at the Grandmaster's enraged yell, Altair leapt from the tower, hands gripping onto the roof of another, smaller tower.

Before the Grandmaster could even think about going after him, he felt someone grab the back of his tunic, pulling him away and allowing Altair to get away. When he spun around, he glared at the figure behind him.

"Malik!"

"You won't get him!" Malik growled, not even batting an eye at the body of Abbas just lying there, "Not without your favourite at your beck and call."

The Grandmaster sneered at this, "Maybe Abbas was the wrong choice for you… I think you need someone a little older to teach you some manners."

Realising that the Grandmaster was referring to himself, Malik grimaced and took a step back. "Never!" he growled, before diving towards the older man and attempting to grab his sword, only to wince when the stone broke apart under the man's feet, sending him falling to a lower part of the tower.

The sword landed on another section of the tower entirely.

The Grandmaster went in one direction, as Malik went in another, desperately searching for Altair as the night closed in fast.

….

Alright…. Using his new weapon that the Piece of Eden had revealed to him, was a little bit risky…. But he really didn't like Abbas, especially not when the man mocked his feelings for Malik.

"ALTAIR!"

Malik?

Twisting around on his perch, Altair beamed at the sight of Malik standing on a balcony. "Malik! You came back!"

"I tried to stop them!" Malik called back, referring to the assassins who were now racing back towards the village in fear.

"Stay there! I'm coming!" Thinking quickly, Altair clambered towards Malik, only to dive backwards as the Grandmaster suddenly landed in front of him, his sword back in his hands as he went on the attack, pushing Altair back towards a bridge that connected two towers… the bridge that was slowly falling apart.

"Just give me the orb Altair…" The Grandmaster growled, "… and this will all be over."

"Don't listen to him Altair! Fight him!"

Spurred on by Malik's words, Altair pushed himself to his feet, engaging his Hidden Blade quickly and deflecting the Grandmaster's slashing motion, using his other hand to strike the older man in the chest, and then disarming him.

Once the sword was out of the Grandmaster's hand, Altair grabbed him by the collar and held him over the edge of the ever-crumbling bridge.

"Don't do this Altair…" the Grandmaster whispered, "… Please, don't do this, not after everything I've done for you."

Altair knew he was being manipulated…. He knew the Grandmaster was only saying this to save his own life.

But this was the man who'd stood by his side after his Father was killed.

Slowly, Altair moved back until the Grandmaster could be placed back onto solid ground… it didn't stop him from throwing the older man to the ground though.

"Get out!" he growled, waiting until the older man had scrambled away, before turning his attention back to Malik… and preparing to make the long jump to the balcony.

"Don't do it!" Malik warned, "It's too far!"

Altair didn't listen.

Crouching down, Altair took a running jump before landing perfectly on the balcony, hands automatically reaching out for Malik as the other man rolled his eyes.

"That was dang- "

BANG


	10. Chapter 10

Please read, review and enjoy ?

…..

BANG

Altair practically screamed in pain, falling to his knees in front of Malik, giving the other pain the perfect view of the Grandmaster standing on the crumbling bridge, a familiar weapon in his hand.

"The orb shows us many wonderful things…" The Grandmaster mused, examining the weapon that had been used to kill Abbas, having stolen it from Altair as the younger man held him over the edge, "… none such as magnificent as this."

Malik glared at the older man, desperately pressing his hand against the wound as Altair struggled to get away.

BANG

"Stop this!" Malik almost begged as Altair fell fully to the ground, rolling over onto his back as Malik stepped in front of him, "This is not the Assassin way!"

The Grandmaster smirked at this, raising the weapon to fire another shot, this time aiming at Malik. However, before he could pull the trigger, the bridge fully crumbled underneath him, and disappeared from under his feet, sending him falling to the ground far below with a yell of surprise.

Once the cries stopped, Malik cautiously peeked over the edge…. And winced.

The Grandmaster might have survived the fall… if it hadn't been for the rock.

"Rest in peace…" Malik muttered, before rushing back to Altair, who was struggling to breathe, "… Altair? Altair!"

Altair gently grabbed Malik's hands, tugging it to his chest. "You-You came back?"

"Of course I did Novice… I won't leave again."

"I-I-I think it might be my time to leave."

"No." Malik shook his head desperately, "We're together now, everything is going to be alright."

Altair smiled weakly, "A-A-A-At least I got to see you one last t-t-time."

Before Malik could say anything else, Altair took in one last quivering breath, a shudder running through his body… before falling limp.

"No!" Malik growled, tears brimming in his eyes, "Please no! Come back novice!"

But it was too late… Altair was gone.

As Malik placed his forehead on Altair's chest, the Piece of Eden started to glow, unfamiliar voices echoing throughout the room.

/ "Father! I'll KILL you for what you've done!" \\\

/ "ISTA! ISTA!" I'm here! I'm here! It's going to be fine!" \\\

/ "In a world without gold, we might have been heroes!"

"THATCH!" \\\

/ "I can take him!"

"No, you can't! Not alone! Wait for me! ELISE!" \\\

/ "Father was right! He never approved of your methods!"

"FATHER. IS. DEAD!" \\\

"Is this what it means to be an Assassin?" Malik asked in between deep breaths, "To suffer like I've suffered, to suffer like future generations will suffer?!" He then turned his attention back to Altair, "I loved him and now he's been taken from me."

Unseen to Malik, a golden woman heard his cries, heard his complaints… and listened.

The Piece of Eden started to glow again, tendrils swirling all around the room and surrounding the two Assassins on the floor. One of these tendrils struck Altair in the heart and his back arched with a desperate gasp for air.

"AH!" Malik fell back, eyes wide as he watched Altair's wounds close up and the blood slowly disappears from his clothing.

It all lasted less than a minute, but Altair was soon pushing himself to his feet, hands roaming over his body in shock as he slowly came to the realization that he was alive and breathing.

"Malik…" he whispered, turning to the other man and beaming, "… Malik!"

Malik slowly stepped forwards, his eyes meeting Altair's intently as he leaned in… before hitting Altair in the arm.

"Ah! What?"

"I can't believe you did that to me Novice!" Malik growled, hitting Altair a couple more times, before using his good hand and pulling Altair into a kiss."

"Hmmm…" Altair hummed happily, before frowning at the dried tear tracks on Malik's face, "… were you crying? Over me?"

"Shut. Up."

As Malik pulled the other Assassin in for another kiss, he heard a female voice in his head.

"Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it. Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars."

…

"So… he's the Grandmaster now?"

"Yes."

"And no-one's challenging it?"

"No."

"… You do know that our new Grandmaster wouldn't let me move those mugs with the unusual names carved into them."

"They are where they need to be."

Kadar was silent for a short time, before nodding. "Fine… this will just take some getting used to."

"Malik!"

The two brothers turned to face the other side of the training room, both smirking as Altair bounced up and down on the spot.

"Are we sparring or not?"

"Patience Altair!" Malik scolded gently, "A Grandmaster must always be patient."

"Malik!"

"You two have a strange relationship…" Kadar sighed, "… a really strange relationship."

"Do you not like it?"

Noticing the slight tension in Malik's voice, Kadar was quick to reassure him, holding up his hands in mock surrender… especially as Altair seemed to have noticed the tension. "I don't mind your relationship!" he blurted out, "I just remember our parents being more… loving towards one another. They didn't tend to spar."

Malik shrugged, "That's how they worked, and this is how we work…. Sparring always leads to something more fun anyway."

"Oh… I didn't need to know that." Kadar rolled his eyes, before gesturing for Malik to head into the training ring, "Go on… go and spar. And don't tell me anything about what happens afterward."

"I make no promises Brother… I make no promises." Malik gave him a stern look, "Don't you have some writing to do?"

Ah yes, the delight of writing up the chronicles of Altair and how he came to power.

"Should I include the mugs?"

"… yes… I imagine it'll be amusing for the future Assassins."

…..

"Mugs… with our names on them?"

Evie could barely contain her excitement, "Isn't that fascinating?!" she exclaimed, "The idea that the Piece of Eden showed Grandmaster Altair what the future of the Creed was going to be like!"

"… It's creepy, that's what it is!"

"Jacob…"

"Was Ezio bothered by it?"

There was a brief pause before Evie admitted that yes, Grandmaster Ezio was a little un-nerved knowing that Altair had known about his existence long before he was born…. And named an object after him.

"Exactly Evie! It's creepy!"

"It's interesting!"

"Creepy!"

"Interesting!"

"CREEPY!"


End file.
